Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. signs a same-sex benefits ordinance at a 12:30 p.m. press conference at Centre Square. He is joined, from left, by council members Mike Fleck, Ken Brown and Sandra Vulcano.

Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. today signed into a law an ordinance granting health and pension benefits to gay partners of city employees.

Easton is one of only five cities in the state so far to adopt legislation extending benefits to same-sex couples. It's also the smallest.

A sixth, Lancaster, provides same-sex benefits to nonunion employees through an executive order.

"They didn't need a lot of convincing," Fleck said of his fellow council members, who approved the legislation unanimously May 25. Discussions were limited to the language of the ordinance rather than its philosophies, he noted.

A city as small as Easton taking this progressive step, council member Mike Fleck said, should send a message to the state that it's not just the state's "liberal bastions" that support equal rights for same-sex couples.

"A lot of historic things took place right on this square," Panto said before signing the ordinance. Easton's Centre Square hosted one of three readings of the Constitution and three Indian peace councils.

Statistically, It's likely few or any city employees will qualify for or claim the extended benefits

To qualify, couples must be in a committed relationship, live together and be financially interdependent. They're also liable for federal taxes on the value of those benefits.

Employees who do claim them must provide proof of cohabitation and other proof they're in a domestic partner relationship, such as leases or mortgage documents.

"Let us hope the rest of the state follows Easton," said Liz Bradbury, executive director of the Pennsylvania Diversity Network, which lobbied for the bill.